First Sprint 4G LTE Smartphone to Debut Soon

Sprint, the perpetual underdog to Verizon and AT&T, is sending a message to consumers: “Don’t count us out of the 4G LTE game just yet.”

The wireless carrier is rumored to be releasing on April 15th the LG Viper, which will be its first 4G LTE smartphone. Also, Sprint will reportedly release a version of the Galaxy Nexus LTE smartphone one week later. Both smartphones will launch in advance of Sprint’s 4G LTE network, which is expected to roll out mid year.

Sprint announced the LG Viper in January at CES and said Tuesday that it would begin taking preorders for the phone on April 12. The carrier didn’t say when the phone would actually be released, though many are speculating April 15th.

Costing $100 (with rebate and two-year contract), the LG Viper promises to be a significant addition to Sprint’s smartphone lineup. The Android Gingerbread device has a 4-inch touchscreen; a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor; 1GB of RAM; a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a forward-facing VGA camera; built-in NFC capabilities; and some environmentally friendly features (the chassis is made of 50 percent recycled plastics). Data fiends will also be happy to note that the LG Viper can use Sprint’s unlimited data plan.

Meanwhile, there’s some anticipation for Sprint’s version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which will reportedly become available on the Sprint network in late April or early May (according to rumors). The smartphone will reportedly ship with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a 4.65-inch screen, a 1.2GHz dual-core chip, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 1.3MP front-facing shooter.